Description

Teachers’ attitudes about teaching English in India: An embedded mixed methods study

THOMAS W CHRIST

Adjunct Professor, Curriculum Studies, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

SAKILAHMED A MAKARANI

PhD Candidate, Curriculum Studies, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

ABSTRACT

Research indicates Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) helps prepare students to acquire written and spoken English. However, research indicates that inconsistencies exist between theoretical conceptions of CLT as an instructional approach and practical implementation of CLT in classrooms. This two-phase embedded mixed methods study focused upon surveying 31 teachers and interviewing and observing six purposefully selected teachers regarding their attitudes about CLT and how they implement CLT in their teaching of English in two schools in India. Results indicated the teachers, generally, have positive attitudes about policy-mandated CLT practices and that they understand the common properties and approaches of CLT. However, challenges pertaining to implementation were identified and these challenges include: classroom size, available resources, and the verbal English proficiency of teachers and students.

Keywords: mixed methods, embedded case study, English Second Language, India, cultural context, Communicative Language Teaching, English Foreign Language